Primetime Television Trips!

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Published by Random House India in 2011
Pages: 294 | Price: Rs199

I completed reading the book within 24 hours of receiving it. This is mostly because I am jobless and do nothing all day but surf the net and watch TV. But the idea of this statement is to imply that though it is not a book that you cannot put down (it’s not exactly a suspense thriller now, is it?), it definitely is a book that you don’t feel like putting down.
Her writing style is easy and flowing and twisting and turning (not the plot but the words). The comic essence of this book can nearly be defined as brilliant. The sarcasm and play of words showcase the author's grip on the English language and her sense of humor. May be one just accumulates this sense of humor over years of exposure to the goof-ups described in this book and also the interaction with the various characters. Sometimes evident and at other times subtle, the comic relief stays as an undertone throughout the book, even when the situation is a serious one.

Plot
I like the way the book begins and I love the way it ends. I did love the twist in the tale of Jassi. Though not unexpected, it definitely adds a touch of class. But overall, the plot is rather sketchy. There actually isn't a strong one at all. But then, the book is less about a story with a plot line, a beginning and a climax, and more about the life one leads in the industry. It's like a television serial that goes on and on about the life of its central character and the last chapter might as well be the first chapter of another book, the difference being that this book never touches 'boring'. At times, the story seems ridiculous but not unreal. Oh and did I mention funny?
The introduction of the characters was fun. It's almost like a Bollywood rom-com. "Zoom into a handsome SRK playing basketball. Freeze. Voice Over: Yeh hai Rahul, college ka sabse popular student." type of intros. So the book begins with our Rahul (though not the protagonist), and about how he makes the most beautiful PPTs (at this point I think, is there no industry that doesn't use PPTs?). I almost laughed out. But then, unlike the Bollywood rom-coms, the book flows into the story smooth and slow and you would not have realized the transition.

The Characters
The character portrayal of Harish was amazing. It is the most hilarious and easily imaginable character, the short, plump sweaty 'yes man' of Rahul (the MD).
Rahul, too was portrayed as a smart handsome man who doesn't really know what he is doing but charming enough to get whatever done.
The character of Tania seemed too hazy and difficult to picture, most importantly because the book seemed to indicate that she is probably the only smart and hardworking individual in the firm while the rest of them are either stupid people or smart people who don't care about work. She seemed too out of place, maybe she was meant to, I don't know.
Aditya on the other had come off well as a witty guy who doesn't work but knows how to give you the impression that he does.
Bose came off exactly as described, the creative genius who learnt how to fake a brooding soul searching angst well, except he didn't seem attractive (but then the protagonist is not attracted to him so it works fine).
Rajneesh was beautiful done with his "I am the nation" attitude.
Vrushali Salve: OMG! Really? Do people talk like that and get to host talk shows? This is probably the craziest character in the book, almost the antagonist and worse than Charlie Angel (no, not Charlie's Angels, this one is a character in this book)! I must appreciate the author for being able to pull of such a character and make her speak such bad English. If she really does come across a lot of people like that, I pity her.
The rest were just passing characters and the author didn't lay too much stress on the others, except for maybe the romance of Biplab and Neha!

Honestly, it really is a not a book to be analyzed. If you want to, you’ll just end up looking up YouTube videos of Persian cats saying “Mi-a-ow” and Googling up the different kinds of black, like ebony-black and grungy black .It simply is a book to be read. Isn’t that what books are supposed to be?

To conclude, I would say it’s an absolutely enjoyable book. It is a perfect read if you are a big shot consultant bad mouthing your client inside your head while you put on your picture perfect plaster smile and are taking a flight long enough to read a 300 page novel. Why? Because it will remind you that it's not just your job that's shitty. Also because it will make you smile, chuckle and may be even laugh out loud, making you forget all your worries.

PS: From the title of the blogpost [Trip (v): to make fun of, to laugh at something]

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